Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Pt 2

The Extreme Home Makeover big REVEAL is today! The Swenson-Lee family is on the way home from their vacation. Today Ty, Paige, Michael, Paul, and Taylor along with the TBJ Homes crew, family and all the spectators will shout, "Move that bus" at 2! The Swenson-Lee family will now have a home that is; OVER 5,700 square feet, three stories, seven bedrooms, five bathrooms, two laundry rooms, three-car garage, over $200,000 worth of landscaping, a greatroom with a mural looking up in downtown Minneapolis, a hot tub, huge playroom, a fountain memorial in the backyard, a play ground, volleyball court, a huge scholarship fund raised by their friends and the community and so much more! (Their previous home was 2 stories, three bedrooms. two and half bath, 2,700 sq ft.) Erik and Vicki Swenson, their three kids Samantha (10), Stella and Olivia (18 mo) - Vicki is pregnant due in Nov - along with the Lee kids; Taylor (12), Ty (10), Trevor (8) and Tara (6) will get to see what the entire community has put together for them! The Swenson-Lee family did not know they were chosen for the show until the door knock. They had been informed they may be in the top five for Minnesota to allow time for the contractors and designers to evaluate their property and current home. They have a brand new home built in 99 hours - a project that would take 6-9 months without any hold ups! This is the single largest structure 'Extreme Makeover, Home Edition' has ever built...and it's the 100th episode of the show! So get ready to watch Minnesota and this great community in action on November 25th!

If you want to take a look at the pictures, family info and the home:www.project508.com

Some interesting and heartbreaking facts -
Taylor Lee was 9 when she was in a car wreck with her dad; she came out with scrapes and bruises, while he was killed on the scene. Terri Lee did everything by the books and more. She told the police, "He's going to kill me!" and Steve did. She even had her boyfriend, Tim, carry a hand gun and had an alarm system installed. The police let Steve out of jail on $7,500 AFTER he attacked Terri with two large knives, in her own home. ($7,500 didn't even cover Terri's funeral costs.) Taylor was 12 when she crawled into bed to sleep with her mom and Tim, afraid of Steve. She huddled under the covers at 4:18 in the morning when Steve broke into the house. She hid under those covers while Steve killed Terri and Tim beside to her. She instructed the police as to Steve's location in the home and for his apprehension. (Tim was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prision without parole.) Taylor now is a violence and abuse advocate along with her aunt Vicki. Vicki has written a bill that will go to legislature this year in hopes to be passed as a law. On average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in this country every day. Chances are one in three of your know someone who has been physically abused (not including mental or sexual abuse) by their husband or boyfriend in the past year alone. Between 3.3 and 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence a year.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Pt 1

My Extreme Makeover Home Edition...thoughts, joys and late nights...

My mum, aunt Donna, cousin Michelle and roommate Mandy went to volunteer with Extreme Makeover Home Edition last night. I had checked and they seemed to need more volunteers during the night hours, than during the day. Several companies/groups had signed up to work during the day shifts. So my mum, aunt, cousin and I headed to Minnetonka to get involved. I invited Mandy along the way...and she was excited to participate as well. I LOVE the show and was very excited to hear what they were doing for the Swenson/Lee family! I have co-workers who are great friends of the family...and their story is such a heart breaking story. For all the love, compassion and motivation this family has had through such difficult times, they more than deserve a brand new home.

I found out their family was confirmed for the show the end of last week...and sent the info on to some family and friends checking if anyone else wanted to be involved. The family knew they were in the top 5 picked to be apart of the show, but didn't know for sure until the door knock on day 1 and off to Disney World for them!! The second day the Swenson/Lee's items completely packed and stored. Everything else in the home; from the hardwood floors, to the windows, all the way to the TV's, couches and such were donated to local churches, charities and organizations. In came the bulldozers and wrecks to tear that home down! After that the foundation was poured and the framing flew up!

When we were onsite last night the family and roof were complete. In a few short hours not only did the house begin to look like a house - but the home was wired, insulated, sheet rocked, roofed, windows were installed and a deck appeared! Their schedule went something like this: electical 11, insulation 12, roof/windows 1, plastic sheeting over insulation, final touches before sheetrock complete by 3 for the rockers to move in, 5 am siding!! This home is the LARGEST single structure that Extreme Makeover has built for a family...with OVER seven bedrooms (seven on the 3rd floor alone!), 4 bathrooms and a HUGE walk-out basement. This family will truly be blessed! It also will be built in record time...less than 96 hours! This home would usually take over six to nine months to build.

Extreme Makeover does 4....four! homes a month...that means at least one a week...because it usually takes seven days to complete a home. The family of Tom Budzynski of TJB Contractors is the family volunteering their time, services and labour for this project. They were only contacted FOUR weeks ago to get this planned. They came up with the design, time frame and infostructure for this project in a VERY short time.

I'm headed back today and tomorrw...so I'll keep you updated where the progess is at. Lets keep great weather, safety in our prayers...and the Budzynski family who is overseeing all construction and contracting for the home....as well as Swenson/Lee family as they are on a great vacation!

Let me say...if Extreme Home Makeover is coming to your area of the country - get involved! Volunteers are always appreciated and it's such an amazing thing to not only watch the speed and ability of the project, but to know that family who so greatly deserves a new home is being blessed!

If you'd like to see pictures along the way or learn about the Swenson/Lee family - PLEASE read their story - or learn about TJB Homes and the Budzynski family...take a look at the website www.project508.com/!!

Let Go

I realized today how angry I could still be. How much it could still bother me. Remembering how they hurt me, it brought tears to my eyes. The pain I went through, then being fed so many lies. So many things promised to me. I thought it was the best, everything it ever should be.

The one moment that changed my life. As a slap to the face, even through all I had sacrificed. Then things weren't so grand. That was the moment when things were no longer as planned.Almost as if a switch had been turned. Everything changed, lies came into the light and I felt burned.

I gave and gave, hoping for so much more. Then I felt the wind knocked out of me as I fell to the floor.Doing my best to still be positive and do what I should. Never feeling like it was enough, try as I could.Down the gutter I fell right where they sent me. Feeling trapped, suffocated, I struggled to get free.

Eventually the truth was revealed and my eyes were opened. I learned the truth about what was spoken.My pain and anguish left unspoken. I walked away with more than my heart broken. Running as fast as I could I tried to get away from everything around me. Leaving behind the friends, pain and even the God I thought He should be.

But today I live as though I've been set free. Continually forgiving and letting Him lead.Seeing what good in it all I can find. Still knowing people always act their kind.Knowing I have to give Him the control. If I do, it will heal my soul.

Awaiting the Inevitable

What do you do when you know you're about about to encounter something you've been avoiding, avoiding in the greatest way possible? My heart starts beating fast, I literally can feel it in my chest and hear it pounding in my head. I start to get slightly dizzy and I tend to get nauseaus. The dizziness attributing to the stomach churning. I start to feel scared, because for as much as you avoid something, it's typically quite imminent that you can't avoid it forever. Usually, you run SMACK into whatever you've been avoiding. Sometimes it's ok and other times it feels like you've hit a wall. Then what? There tends to be some awkwardness and discomfort. There tends to be pain and anguish from past happenings. Now what, how do you work through it? How do you keep your head on straight through what you've so difficultly avoided? How do you live after this?

Sometimes...the inevitable just happens.